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Monday, 18 June 2012

On 'lewdness', 'annoyance' and turning a blind eye

Although the investigation into the death of Harry Pace and the trial of his widow Beatrice took place far, far away from the bustle of London's streets, the case became tangentially connected to a chronic problem in the policing of the metropolis in the 1920s: prostitution.

The connection had to do with debates about police powers, which (as I've noted here before) were a hotly debated topic in the latter half of the 'roaring twenties'.

In the context of putting some final touches on another essay of mine on the police powers issue, I was very pleased to discover that an article by my friend Stefan Slater has seen the light of day in the current issue of Law and History Review: 'Lady Astor and the Ladies of the Night: The Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Politics of the Street Offences Committee, 1927–28'.

The article is, unfortunately, behind one of those annoying paywalls, but if you have access to a good university library (or know someone who does), you should be able to get a copy.

The abstract runs like this:

Section 54 (11) of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 criminalized the act
of a common prostitute causing annoyance by soliciting in public.
For the police to implement this legislation was no simple matter, as
no definition of “prostitute,” or indeed “annoyance,” was scribed in
statute law. Although common law aided the interpretation of this
offense—the case of Rex v. de Munck (1918): “We are of the
opinion that prostitution is proved if it is shown that a woman offers
her body commonly for lewdness of payment in return”—in
practice, identifying a “common prostitute” and defining “annoyance” was
left to the discretion of the individual police officer. Although
specific squads were deployed to target streetwalkers in West End police
divisions, where the presence of prostitutes was more likely to cause
public offense, a “blind eye” was often turned to women soliciting in
the less salubrious streets of the metropolis. Local knowledge gained on
the beat and the informal advice of colleagues shaped an unofficial
police policy of containment and toleration.

I had the pleasure of reading a couple of draft versions of this article and also discussing it and related topics with Stefan on several occasions.

With articles like this one and this one, Stefan is establishing himself as one of the leading historians of twentieth-century British policing.

'A fascinating analysis of one woman's domestic disaster, the power of the press and public opinion. Loved it!' -- Jenni Murray, host of BBC Radio 4's "Woman's Hour"

'Sometimes life is better than fiction.' -- Tessa Hadley, in The Guardian

'Just for once, my crime book of the year isn’t a novel, but a factual account. ... A fascinating snapshot of interwar England, brilliantly brought to life.' -- Nicola Upson, Faber website

'I know that this book worked in a narrative sense because for most of the time I was reading it I felt a prickling at the back of my neck that I only get from a good crime book, whether true or fictional.' -- Kate Gardner, Nose in a Book

'...[A]n engaging and suggestive analysis of the relationship between crime, culture, and politics in a formative historical period.... [I]t is hard to imagine a more thorough account of the processes through which crime became news.' -- Matthew Houlbrook, Media History.

'This book will be an invaluable aid to those interested in the history of criminal justice and British society in the 1920s.' -- June Purvis, in the Times Higher Education

'A vivid portrayal not just of one woman's fate, but of a society in transition. Highly recommended!' -- Andrew Hammel, Amazon.co.uk review

Welcome!

Find The Most Remarkable Woman in England on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaceCase

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In May 1928, Beatrice Pace, the widow of a Forest of Dean quarryman and shepherd, was charged with her husband's arsenic murder. Her trial in Gloucester in July that year was one of the greatest legal sensations in early twentieth-century Britain, generating almost endless newspaper coverage and heated political debates about the state of the British justice system.

On this blog, I will be posting updates about my forthcoming book, The Most Remarkable Woman in England: Poison, Celebrity and the Trials of Beatrice Pace (Manchester University Press), the first book to deal comprehensively with what was known as the ‘Fetter Hill Mystery’ and the trial to which it led.

So, if you’re interested in real-life mysteries, the histories of the British police and criminal justice system or the culture of the 1920s, you’ve come to the right place!

Here, I’ll also present details about my research, give additional facts about the case and provide background material about crime, policing, justice and celebrity culture in the inter-war period.

This is also an opportunity for readers (or potential readers) to ask questions and comments about the case and my take on it. More information is available on the blog to the left or on the pages listed above.

If you have questions about the book or related issues, please feel free to contact me at jcarterwood@yahoo.com